Cape Central boys basketball team lends helping hand with flood relief

Prior to Saturday's practice, the Cape Central boys basketball players were advised to bring along some warm clothes.

Their coach said there was some work to be done.

Three days after winning their first Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament in 19 years, the Tigers took to the Red Star District, an area on the north end of town that was exposed to some of the worst damage caused by the city's historic flood.

Members of Red Star Baptist Church and the surrounding community gathered to help with flood relief, making sure sandbags were in place and using shop vacuums to keep water out of the church's basement. Among those volunteers was TC Hoops coach Terry Helm, whose basketball club uses the church's activity center as a practice facility.

"Once the water started receding a little bit, we went out and kind of gave it a check, and then somebody had come by and told us that they didn't think it had crested and that the water was going to possibly come back up," Helm said. "During that time, I wasn't comfortable with the sandbags that were around the gym, so me and one of the guys what were there went back out and were going to put more sandbags up on another door.

"In the process, the Cape Central basketball team came up and asked if we needed some help or if there was anything they could do, so we put them to work and had them help us sandbag another door to the gymnasium."

Helm said volunteers showed up throughout the day to fill sandbags or lend a hand wherever they could.

"They might fill 15, 20, 100 and then leave. It was actually a remarkable sight," Helm said. "There were several people in the church there keeping the water out of the basement with shop vacs. A lot of people were walking around observing just to make sure if anybody needed help or whatever."

Helm said the response was overwhelming and was pleased to see a group of teenagers come together and show support for the community.

"Those boys gave up a Saturday, them and their coach, just to walk around and kind of see what was in the area, if anyone needed help anywhere," Helm said. "I think it was just a remarkable response from the community in that area. Everybody pulled together.

"While they were there, they went and put sandbags on the window well of a house that nobody actually asked them to. They just saw that there was one window well that didn't have sand bags, and they took care of it."

Helm overheard Cape Central coach Drew Church talking collectively to his team and was touched when he heard the message.

"With all the wins that they have and the big games they've played in, what they did right there on that day was more important than any of that," Helm said about Church's message. "I just thought that was good leadership from a coach teaching a valuable lesson. It's just a little bit about life right there."